


show me a better love

by reachthetree



Category: BBC Radio 1 RPF, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Competition, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Sexual Content, Side Ziall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2015-11-29
Packaged: 2018-05-03 21:35:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5307674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reachthetree/pseuds/reachthetree
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“Stop distracting,” he says, and points his spoon at Nick again. “We need a game plan.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“I’m sorry, your majesty,” Nick jokes, and puts on an overly serious expression. “I’m ready for the Best Couple Showdown of 2015.”</i>
</p><p>-</p><p>Nick and Louis show Zayn and Niall that they're the best boyfriends. By getting engaged.</p>
            </blockquote>





	show me a better love

**Author's Note:**

> Ree asked me for domestic cuddly tshaw and I may have strayed off that prompt a tiny bit but this is sappy as fuck so? Hope you like it?
> 
> Not beta-ed so sorry about any mistakes, they're all mine unfortunately.
> 
> Title from Better Love by Foxes because Nick loves that song and so do I. :)
> 
> Oh and the 'sexual content' is two sex mentions and a tiny blowjob. There's also a few mimosas but no major intoxication. All right, I think that's it, hope you enjoy! x

Louis is already in bed, freshly showered and cozied up with blankets and his stuffed rabbit called Ronaldo. Nick stops in the doorway when he sees him, puts his hand over his heart, but before he can say anything Louis lifts a hand to stop him.

“Not so fast, loser. What are the magic words?”

Nick sighs. “I solemnly swear to never tell any of my friends, family, or colleagues,” he counts them off his fingers as he goes, “that the very adult and manly Louis Tomlinson sleeps with a teddybear.” 

Louis nods somberly, like a prince accepting a gift. “You may proceed.”

And a second later Nick is on the bed, nuzzling Louis’ hair and holding him. “The manly Louis Tomlinson smells like pomegranates,” he says.

“It’s your shampoo,” Louis retorts softly.

“Hell yeah it is.” Nick grins proudly and lies his head down on Louis’ chest, nestled in under his arm while Ronaldo is in the same position on the other side.

It’s warm, Louis’ little compact body next to his gangly one, heating up the bed with sleepy softness. This has been a regular occurrence for a number of months now, but Nick is still marveling at how good it feels, how right. If he thinks too long about it, it starts to feel unreal: that he gets to see Louis like this, cuddling Ronaldo without product in his hair. That he gets to sleep next to him every night.

“You know,” Louis starts, his voice a little lazy, like he’s halfway to sleep already. “Niall texted me today. Sent a picture of homemade bread saying they’re a better couple than we are.”

“Bullshit.” Nick’s sleepy too, not even bothering to lift his head from Louis’ chest.

“We should do something,” Louis goes on, sleepy but determined. “Show ‘em.”

“‘Course, hun.” Nick considers giving Louis’ tummy a soothing pat, but he decides against it because then he’d actually have to move his arm. Instead he turns his head a little so he can kiss Louis’ nipple. The kiss makes Louis squeak, and Nick grins, feeling very pleased as he rests his head back again.

Nick could fall asleep like that, honestly, but his neck starts to hurt, so he has to admit defeat and roll over to the pillow. He falls asleep within seconds, Louis already snoozing beside him. The last thing he does is putting his hand in Louis’, and then the dreams take him.

-

The next day, when Louis is actually awake, it becomes apparent that he was serious about wanting to show Zayn and Niall who’s winning the relationship game.

“Not to mention that I alone got more ass than the two of them combined. I love those nerds, but that relationship is assless.” Louis gestures with his spoon towards Nick’s backside.

“Can’t argue with that.” Nick shrugs. 

“Besides,” Louis is heated now, “our first date was to a Nicki Minaj concert. They literally got together via Netflix and chill.” Louis rolls his eyes and takes a new spoonful of cereal, and it crunches when he bites into it.

The Nicki concert had actually been their fourth date, but Nick has no problem whatsoever with this history revision. Their actual first hang-out was a very awkward café date, during which Nick had spilled coffee on his white jeans and loudly gone through every swear word he knew, which was a considerable amount. But Louis was impressed, and they’d kept seeing each other, and when Nicki came to London it “just so happened” that Louis had a spare ticket, supposedly because Harry flaked out on him to go to Bermuda on a ‘hot yoga retreat’.

“We’re clearly the best,” Nick agrees. “What d’you reckon we should do, then?” He spreads butter on his toast, then looks up at Louis again.

Louis is resting his head on a hand, eyebrows furrowed and his lips pursed. “We probably have to bake,” he says after some consideration.

“Does it still count if we get Harry to do it?” Nick asks. He and Louis are both terrible at baking.

“No,” Louis says firmly. “Harry isn’t in the best relationship in the world, which is you and me.”

He says it in a casual and sure way, like there’s no disputing that fact, and Nick feels the love in his chest bloom out extra vividly.

“I love you.” Nick can’t help but smile, as though the feeling in his chest is in control of his face.

Louis’ expression softens. “I love you too,” he says. “Duh.” He laughs, and he’s so pretty with the morning light on his scruffy face and long eyelashes, the t-shirt he’s thrown on stretched out so his collarbone is visible and a bit of his chest tattoo is peeking out.

Nick makes an exaggerated kissy face at him, complete with smacking noises, just to hear him laugh some more. He does for a moment, before he looks fake-admonishingly at Nick.

“Stop distracting,” he says, and points his spoon at Nick again. “We need a game plan.”

“I’m sorry, your majesty,” Nick jokes, and puts on an overly serious expression. “I’m ready for the Best Couple Showdown of 2015.” He takes a bite of his toast.

Louis grins. “I’ll get pen and paper.” He jumps out of his seat, and Nick loves him so overwhelmingly much.

-

It’s the Sunday of the following week, and Nick finds himself nervous. Bloody hell. They’ve cleaned the flat with joint efforts (which only devolved into sex once, and Nick doesn’t think he can be blamed for that when Louis deliberately stripped down to his boxers to scrub the bathtub, and then proceeded to get all wet). Nick’s even bought flowers, which are standing proudly on the living room table. Surrounding the flowers is a very nice, if Nick may say so himself, selection of brunch-like foods. Only half of them are pre-made. They’ve practiced making American pancakes all week, probably to the horror of their neighbours, but the fire alarm only went off twice, and today there’s an appetizing pile of them, decorated with a twig of lemon balm (bought especially). There’s also scones, clotted cream, posh fig marmalade, mango and strawberries, and chocolate sauce (which Louis made with his eyes fixed on a youtube tutorial).

Louis’ swearing about his hair carries from the bathroom.

“Honey, it’s only Zayn and Niall,” Nick shouts, as though he’s not jumpy himself. “They know you’re hot already.”

The bathroom door slams and Louis appears a few moments later, looking like a rainy cloud. “I know they know that,” he snaps, “but it’s part of our greatness. Remember why we’re doing this?”

“You’ve haven’t exactly allowed me to forget,” Nick bites back. He self-consciously tugs on his shirt. It’s a loose leopard print number, unbuttoned to show off his chest hair as per Louis’ request. Louis is displaying some chest as well, in a tight red t-shirt cut just right to accentuate his collarbones.

He’s still tugging at his hair, messing it up further, and Nick sighs and walks over to him. “Hey,” he says softly and takes Louis’ hands. Louis’ sharpness melts away, and he looks up at Nick with the vulnerable eyes that Nick still doesn’t know how to handle.

“Your hair looks amazing,” he says, and rubs his thumbs over Louis’ hands. “And we will win.”

Louis lights up, then, all irritation and nervousness gone. “Obviously we will,” he says. He reaches up, standing on his tiptoes to give Nick a quick and minty toothpaste kiss. “Love you.”

“Love you too.” Nick sneaks his arm around Louis’ waist, pulling him into a hug. He smells nice, like Louis and cologne.

“Sappy shit,” Louis mumbles on Nick’s shoulder. Nick doesn’t point out that Louis started it. He just smiles and gives him a squeeze for good measure.

They’re interrupted by the doorbell. Louis gets out of Nick’s arms and looks seriously into his eyes. “Show time,” he whispers dramatically.

It’s really a testament to how much Nick loves Louis that he doesn’t laugh. He just nods, equally as serious.

Zayn and Niall are dressed up as well; they’re in black button-up shirts, and Zayn’s turqoise pocket square matches Niall’s tie which is in the same colour. Nick sees Louis’ eyes narrow when he sees it, before he catches himself and puts on his brightest smile.

“Welcome!” He sweeps his hand out into the flat, as though Niall and Zayn haven’t been there countless times before. Nick just looks on, letting Louis take control.

Niall chuckles as first, but when Louis glares at him, he straightens up. “Thank you,” he says in an overly formal tone.

“Um, anyway. We brought this,” Zayn says and hands Nick a bottle of Chardonnay. He shrugs. “I know it’s midday, but…”

“We actually have mimosas,” Louis cuts in triumphantly. “Everyone knows day drinking is the reason people have brunch, anyway.”

“I thought it was to boast about what a great couple you are.” Zayn smirks.

Nick grips the wine bottle harder, but Louis just huffs. “Obviously,” he says.

Niall keeps looking amused as they sit down at the table, him and Zayn on one side, and Louis and Nick on the other. They’ve barely sat down before Louis puts his hand on Nick’s thigh and squeezes. He does it in a deliberately obvious manner, and Niall looks about two seconds away from rolling his eyes. Instead, he takes Zayn’s hand under the table while looking Louis straight in the eye.

“You won’t be able to eat with one hand occupied,” Louis says.

“Neither will you,” Niall shoots back.

“Yikes,” Zayn mutters under his breath. “Nick, could you pass me the pancakes? I’m a bit tied up, it seems.”

When Zayn takes the first bite of pancake dripping with chocolate sauce, he literally moans. That breaks the tension for the time being: Louis cheers and claps his hands, Niall looks equal parts hungry and horny, and Nick is freed up so he can drink some of his mimosa. He’s not completely sold on the idea of ruining perfectly good sparkling wine with orange juice, but it’s brunch, and Louis can be very convincing.

“I can’t believe you actually cooked,” Niall says appreciately between bites. “I mean, it’s not substantial like a loaf of bread, but still.”

Louis bites immediately. “Bread is boring, unlike mine and Nick’s relationship.” He holds his hand out and glances sternly at Nick. Nick gets the hint and puts the glass down to take it.

Zayn chuckles into his champagne flute of mimosa.

“What’s that, Zayn? Care to share with the group?” Louis looks demandingly at his friend.

Zayn doesn’t seem bothered, though. “You’re cute,” he says, and for a moment Nick thinks he’s just being nice, but then he keeps talking. “Not vacation with your boyfriend’s family kind of cute, but you’ll get there.” He smiles mischievously; he knows how to push Louis’ buttons as well as Niall does, even though he doesn’t do it as much.

The remark makes Louis tighten his grip on Nick’s hand, to the point where it almost hurts. His plate of scones and fruit is barely touched. There’s a couple moments of silence, while Niall looks between Zayn and Louis.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Louis says suddenly, “I have to go to the bathroom.”

When he’s left the room, Nick rubs his hands together to get the blood back in the squeezed one. “You could just make this easy for me and let us win,” he suggests hopefully.

Niall laughs. “But it’s so much more fun to wind him up.” He takes a sip of mimosa and smiles. “Besides, you don’t get this every Sunday, do you?”

That’s vaguely beside the point, but whatever. Nick shrugs. “We have to win, though, just warning you.”

“I think we can handle that, can’t we babe?” Niall looks at Zayn, who grins.

“‘Course, darling.”

Louis gets back with something bulging out of his pocket. Nick is just about to make a dick joke, but he doesn’t have time to think of a good one before Louis grabs his glass and declares, “I’d like to make a toast.”

He’s still standing, by his chair with his free hand resting on the back of it, and Nick turns so he can look at him properly. His lips are pursed and the hand he’s holding the mimosa with is trembling a little bit. Niall and Zayn both look to him as well, and Nick nods for him to go on with it.

“Right.” Louis clears his throat. “I’d like to make a toast to Nick.” 

Nick smiles at the mention of his name, and Louis seems to relax a bit. “He’s– Nick is the best person I know, including myself, which says a lot.” 

Niall laughs, but Louis continues. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s really bloody annoying at times, but he’s also the person I feel I can be the most myself with.”

It’s ridiculous, but Nick feels his eyes go watery and hot. “He’s the best at eating ass,” Louis says, and everyone laughs. Nick is secretly relieved that he staved off the tears. “But more importantly,” Louis’ voice goes soft again, “he’s my best friend.”

His hand wanders to the bulge in his pocket, and a wild thought enters Nick’s head. Is he going to–? No, he can’t be, that would be ridiculous.

“He’s the best boyfriend I’ve ever had, and–” Louis looks Nick in the eye, and the mimosa in his hand is forming tiny orange waves as he trembles. “And the best boyfriend I will ever have.”

Nick’s eyes are getting damp again. Louis takes a deep breath, puts his glass down on the table, and pulls the box out of his pocket.

Nick stops breathing.

“So with that in mind,” Louis gets down on one knee, holy fucking shit, is this really happening, “Nick Grimshaw, will you be my best boyfriend until one of us dies?” And then he finally opens the box.

“Oh my God.” Nick has lost his entire vocabulary. “Oh my God.” Louis looks up at him with his lips slightly parted and his hands holding the box open look a bit unsteady, so Nick leans forward and takes them between his. The ring is in black, with something etched on it, Nick can only see an ‘F’.

“Say yes, for fuck’s sake!” Niall exclaims, and Nick almost starts laughing, but Louis looks at him with wide eyes.

“Only if you want to,” he says quietly.

“Fuck, of course, yes, yes!” Nick can’t get out the words fast enough, and there’s definitely a tear rolling down his cheek now.

Zayn and Niall erupt in cheers, and Louis’ face splits in the most euphoric smile Nick has ever seen on him (including the Nicki concert). Nick has to kiss him, so he does, and flips Zayn and Niall off then they wolf-whistle.

“Get up off the floor, you dramatic fucker,” Nick says when they break the kiss. He can’t stop smiling.

Louis laughs, and almost jumps up. “Look at the ring!” He almost throws the box at Nick. “It says ‘fave’. Get it? Cos you’re my problematic fave?”

Nick can’t stop laughing. “This is the worst thing ever,” he says, in a voice that indicates the opposite. “I hate this.”

“You love me,” Louis says proudly. It’s true.

“I give up,” Niall says, and throws his hands up over his head. “You win.” He turns to Zayn. “Can you drink the rest of this terrible drink, now?”

Louis pumps a fist in the air. “Yes! We are the supreme couple!” He beams at Nick for a moment before sticking his tongue out at Zayn. “Suck it, couple’s vacation!”

Zayn sips his mimosa and shrugs, but there’s a smile at the corner of his mouth.

All in all, it’s a pretty good brunch.

-

That night when they go to bed, Nick places the ring at the nightstand before they go to brush their teeth.

“I don’t have a ring for you,” he says and looks at Louis in the mirror before he spits into the sink.

Louis shrugs. “We’ll get one. We can even get new ones if you really don’t like yours.”

Nick fakes offense. “Don’t insult my fiance’s taste!”

The look on Louis’ face when he says the word ‘fiance’ makes Nick want to write sonnets, it’s so fucking ethereal. “I knew there was a reason you’re my fave,” he says and makes a kissy face at Nick in the mirror, toothpaste all around his mouth.

“Please spit,” Nick says. “I wanna kiss you now.”

“So demanding.” Louis grins, but he spits and rinses his mouth a second later. “Okay,” he says as he puts the toothbrush in their joint cup, “kiss me, _fiance_.”

Nick pulls Louis in by the soft fabric of his sleep t-shirt, and kisses him. He’s going to kiss Louis for the rest of his life. That’s probably a thought that shouldn’t make him hard, but he presses his thigh against Louis’ cock and feels more than hears him whine into his mouth. Louis is so soft at night, as though his edges get rounded off when it’s dark outside. Nick loves him all the time but especially like this. He holds on to Nick’s hips, but lets Nick lead the kiss, seamlessly opening his mouth for Nick and following his tongue with smooth heat. Nick feels like his blood is aglow.

It’s only fair, Nick supposes, that since Louis got on his knees earlier, Nick should do it now. He doesn’t remove Louis’ pyjama bottoms, just takes his cock out and swallows it down eagerly. Louis leans against the sink, his hands gripping the edges, and he bites his bottom lip when Nick suckles on the head.

“Let me hear you,” Nick says when he takes a second to breathe. “Please.”

Louis goes a bit pink, but nods, and when Nick gets back to it he lets himself moan. It’s one of Nick’s favourite sounds in the entire world. He gives it his all, does everything he can to draw more of those sounds out. When Louis’ comes, Nick could swear that he hears him whine the word “fiance”. Nick would have smiled if his mouth wasn’t full of jizz.

When they go to bed (after Louis has brought Nick off with his hand), Louis curls up around Nick and cards his fingers through Nick’s chest hair. He’s unusually quiet. Nick’s got his hand under Louis’ t-shirt and strokes his back slowly, getting sleepy after his orgasm.

“You all right, hun?” Nick tries to look at Louis, but he’s too close; he only sees a mass of unruly hair.

“Mm,” Louis responds unconvincingly. Nick waits. He only has to wait a couple of seconds before Louis goes, “I just– You didn’t just go along with it for the competition, right?”

He lifts his head from Nick’s shoulder and looks at him.

“No,” Nick says. “Wait, was it just for the competition? I thought, since there was a ring–”

“No, no,” Louis shakes his head fervently. “It was– I was serious.” He bites his lip. “Admittedly I wasn’t planning on proposing like that, but yeah.”

“How were you planning on doing it?” Nick searches for Louis’ hand, and takes it in a firm grip when he finds it.

Louis grins. “I had so many good ideas. One was to wait until Nicki does another tour, for obvious reasons. Another was to hide the ring in my asshole.”

Nick bursts out laughing. “I love you so much,” he gets out when he calms down.

“I know,” Louis says, but he looks very pleased. “We can still do that, though,” he adds and waggles his eyebrows.

“Gotta keep the sex interesting now we’re about to be an old married couple,” Nick says. For that, he gets an elbow in the side. “Ow!”

“Don’t talk shit, I’m gonna be the most interesting husband ever,” Louis says. “You won’t know what hit you.”

Then he lies down again, and nuzzles into Nick’s neck. Nick resumes stroking his back. They’re quiet for a short while, but then something hits Nick.

“Oh my God,” he says. “I just realised we’ll have to tell our grandkids that we got married because you always have to be the best at everything.”

There’s a beat of silence, and Nick is afraid he’s overstepped, but when Louis speaks, it’s in a soft voice. “Kids?”

“If you want.” Nick leans down and kisses the top of Louis’ head. It smells like pomegranates again.

Louis nods. “We’re gonna crush the whole marriage thing,” he says. He plants a kiss on Nick’s neck, and Nick is so fucking in love with him.

“Obviously,” he says. “We’re the best.”

He can feel Louis smile against his skin. “Yeah. We’re the best.”

The night wraps them in comfortable silence, and Nick is just about the drift off to sleep when Louis stirs again. “By the way,” he murmurs against Nick’s shoulder, a bit of saliva getting on it. “I demand to die first, just so you know.”

Nick is barely awake, but his face forms a smile anyway. “Sure, hun,” he mumbles. “Whatever you want.”


End file.
